The Manhiça Health Research Centre, established in 1996 in a rural area of southern Mozambique, currently follows around 92 000 individuals living in approximately 20 000 enumerated and geo-positioned households. Its main strength is the possibility of linking demographic data and clinical data to promote and conduct biomedical research in priority health areas. Socio-demographic data are updated twice a year and clinical data are collected on a daily basis. The data collected in Manhiça HDSS comprises household and individual characteristics, household socio-economic assets, vital data, migration, individual health history and cause of death, among others. Studies conducted in this HDSS contributed to guide the health authorities and decision-making bodies to define or adjust health policies such as the introduction of Mozambique's expanded programme of immunization with different vaccines (Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcus) or the development of the concept of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Infants (IPTi) that led to the World Health Organization recommendation of this method as best practice for the control of malaria among infants. Manhiça's data can be accessed through a formal request to Diana Quelhas (diana.quelhas@manhica.net) accompanied by a proposal that will be analysed by the Manhiça HDSS internal scientific and ethics committees.

BackgroundDiarrheal disease remains a leading cause of illness and death, particularly in low-income countries. Its burden, microbiological causes and risk factors were examined in children aged 0–59 months living in Manhiça, rural southern Mozambique.MethodsTrends of diarrhea-related burden of disease were estimated during the period 2001–2012. A prospective, age-stratified and matched (by age, gender and geographical origin), case-control study was conducted during 2007–2011. Clinical, epidemiology, anthropometric measurement and fecal samples obtained from recruited children were used to estimate moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) weighted attributable fractions.ResultsOver the last decade the incidence of acute diarrhea has dropped by about 80%. Incidence of MSD per 100 child years at risk for the period 2007–2011 was 9.85, 7.73 and 2.10 for children aged 0–11, 12–23 and 24–59 months respectively. By adjusted population attributable fractions, most cases of MSD were due to rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, ETEC ST (ST only or ST/LT), Shigella and Adenovirus 40/41. Washing hands and having facilities to dispose child’s stools were associated with a reduced risk of MSD, while giving stored water to the child was associated with an increased risk of MSD.ConclusionsDespite the predominantly decreasing trends observed throughout the last decade, diarrheal diseases remain today a major cause of morbidity among children aged 0–59 months living in this rural Mozambican area. Rotavirus, cryptosporidium, Shigella, ETEC ST and Adenovirus 40/41 were the most important aetiologies of MSD. Thus, well-known preventive strategies such as washing hands, improving the treatment of stored water, having facilities to dispose children stools, and accelerating the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine should be promoted on a wider scale to reduce the current burden of diarrheal diseases.